Okay, so some people have Rita's Cantina confused with the to-go/fast food cart/truck located next to the actual restaurant. I assure you that you definitely cannot compare the two. Rita's, the restaurant, is one of the newest additions to Harrah's Resort SoCal's limited places to relax, eat, and take a break from the noisy casino. If you're in a hurry, and want everything in a nutshell, here you go... Friendly, accommodating, average wait service, great Mexican food with a couple of non Mexican foods available for those who no le gusta for some silly reason, as well as a couple vegetarian-friendly choices. Prices are just above average ($12-$18), but dish size may be splittable. Go, eat, play. For those who want to know more, here you go... As I write this review, I am sitting poolside eating chips & perfectly-spiced salsa waiting for all the food I ordered to sample, to come to me. I requested that my food to be placed into to-go containers because I know I'm not going to eat all of it here, so when you see my photos don't assume that's the way all of their food comes because it will be served on a nice plate or bowl. The Carne Asada (soft taco) is of a medium to high quality beef, very tender, and the flavor is uniquely out-of-this-world good, the chunky chicken burrito was also amazing & bursting with lively and unique flavorS! The cheese enchilada is perfect right down to the palate-friendly red sauce, the chicken Tamal is so tender & moist it needs no sauce - no choking down dry masa here, just so yummy! I'm pretty picky when it comes to Mexican food, I want authentic, but clean (if you know what I mean) and this place serves it like no other. Don't believe me? Try it yourself, I guarantee you that there's something on this menu that you'll rave about. I was not asked to nor paid to write this review, it's just my genuine experience. I visit Harrah's Resort SoCal several times a month. One more thing, for those who enjoy well drinks and beer, etc, my husband said that the Cadillac Margarita was superb, I think it was peach flavored...? See ya there! read more

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Awesome dinning experience!! My wife and I sat pool side at night. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. The Appetizer really set the tone for the main dish. I would recommend this place while staying at Harris Casino. read more

My review isn't so much for the food, though the Chile-Agave Wings are really yummy and you get a much larger portion than any other restaurant. I want to compliment and make special mention of the food runner, Jose`. (11/11/17, Saturday, Dinner Shift) I was so impressed at how hard he works. He humbly glides in and out of the back area with ease, a smile on his face and a willing to serve attitude. You can tell that he goes out of his way to help his co-workers. I made sure that I told the Manager, upon leaving of how impressed I am with Jose`. The Manager was very kind and 'hands on', he stopped by our table to check on us during our meal. (I didn't get his name. Same shift, I want to say Jardin?) read more

Much better then past visits....Guacamole was expensive! But there is a lot of it!! Two of us didn't put a dent in it! They need to offer a half order! Shrimp was tasty and the fish of the day was delicious! Red snapper and it had some great flavor!!! read more

Love their cheese enchiladas. Our server was Jan Vincent and he greeted us at the door, took great care of us and even had the chef prepare something special for us. He really made our dinner special. I love the openness of the atmosphere. The price was spot on and the food was great. I can't say enough. I am not thrilled with Harrah's choice of restaurants (expensive) at this location but I do love Rita's Cantina and I am sad when I go to Harrah's and this is closed. read more

Amazing food and innovative margarita concoctions. Blackberry Rita with jalapeño infused tequila was so different I just had to try it. Was fantastic. Had party of 25 people for my daughters 30th birthday. Large party menu was very diverse with the best Mexican rice I have ever had and green chicken enchiladas I could not stop eating. So original. Not your typical green sauce. Tangy and so much exotic flavor. Manager Zach and his staff were so helpful in putting this special event together. And such a phenomenal staff. Attentive, friendly and so efficient. Family and friends are raving. Was our second birthday party there. Thank you to Harrahs Rincon staff, pastry chef Matt and Rita's for a memorable weekend. read more

Ritas Cantina - At Rita's cantina for my daughters 30th birthday. Amazing cake and amazing food in a fun atmosphere - Mexican Near Me - Funner, California

Definitely do not eat here they have served as bad lobster and then only that it takes them so long for your order I was there over an hour they get zero stars on my end read more

Only reason I didn't give it one star is because our waiter was awesome. We are on the Keto diet and are always looking for restaurants we can eat at. We saw 'Rita's had happy hour with wings and a shrimp cocktail.. woohoo!! No.. not woohoo. The shrimp cocktail, which I provided a picture of, was teeny tiny for $7. You get 3 shrimp in a tiny 3" bowl.. the same one they serve salsa in. It seemed like frozen shrimp they thawed and threw in with some cocktail sauce. Then the wings are 6 for $6.. we ordered 2 of them and they both came with 4 wings! when we asked about it.. the waiter came back and said " Oh, they ran out, that's what happened I'll see what I can do." Um, were they hoping we couldn't count to 6? So then he brings back 3 wings extra. Still 1 short man. Then I ordered the rib eye medium cooked. I got it well done but I was sick of complaining so I just ate it. I just think overall it was not worth the money here at all read more

Ritas Cantina - Shrimp cocktail - Mexican Near Me - Funner, California

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I used to love this place. The food has always been good, the margaritas are delicious, but the real draw was the queso that came out with your chips and salsa. Apparently they stopped this awhile back and without that it's just an overpriced Mexican restaurant and not worth the drive. The complimentary queso made the difference (now you can pay $6 a tiny side). If I find myself at Harrah's for another reason I'll probably stop in for a margarita, but I won't be making the trip for 'rita's anymore. read more

This place just misses the mark in so many ways, if your looking for delicious, authentic Mexican food, your not going to find it. The flavors were wrong and it seemed like everything lacked seasoning and that yum factor. Our server was very polite and helpful which we did appreciate. The chef though, that was a whole other experience, he came to our table because we weren't very happy with our lunch. He sat down, and proceeded to aggressively question us as to why we didn't like what in the guise of asking us how we could improve things on the menu etc. it was the most uncomfortable dining experience I have ever had and I will never go back. read more

A couple months ago this would be 5 star. But apparently they changed their menu in February. I was looking forward to their original shrimp cocktail and my bf and I had a tradition coming and eating fajitas and shrimp cocktail. We would go several times on our weekend visit. We'd walk away so happy but this last time everything came out different. It was boring and not impressive! I will not be craving Harrahs like I used to. Sizzling Fajitas were not grilled or sizzling and no bell Peppers. Only onions not grilled and 5 shrimp. The shrimp cocktail had no real flavor like the last one did! This one taste like the Taco Bell version. Just terrible and I tried making it better with lime and stuff but it didn't work. The server said there was a menu change! I understand trying to cut ingredients and cost but you just messed up everything!!! It's worse than taco bell now. Please change the menu back. Add the flavors back. I don't think anyone will be returning customers and tourist will be disappointed .... service is great though!!! read more

Shame on me for trying this place multiple times. Today I ordered a bacon breakfast burrito and got an ice cold burrito with a ton of non melted cheese. Food is always bland and very generic. There is nothing authentic or even flavorful. Piss poor excuse of a restaurant. read more

Ritas Cantina - Pathetic. Cheese isn't even melted. - Mexican Near Me - Funner, California

Food is good but portions are super small. $20 for a tiny burrito. It's a great portion for kids.

The hotel promo for this restaurant wasn't quite what we expected. Dined in with my 9 y/o daughter and my mother. They ordered raspberry lemonade but were served raspberry ice tea, which the waitress insisted was lemonade from the soda fountain. My mother ordered the fajita plate (steak, chicken and shrimp). My daughter ordered a California burrito and I ordered a single carnitas taco. My mother's "fajita" plate was barely hot, a couple of peppers and onions, chopped chicken and what appeared to be ground beef - no shrimp. My daughters burrito also appeared to have ground beef instead of steak. When we asked about the lack of shrimp, we were brought a tiny bowl of shrimp that was not meant for a fajita. My taco was good. Bummer. read more

I'd give it a 5 if it weren't for the prices. Don't remember the food being as good as it was in our most recent visit. Salsa kind of plain and I like mine pretty spicy, so you'll like it if you don't mind mild salsa. Ordered catch of day burrito, carne asada burrito, shrimp enchiladas, plain quesadilla, and shrimp & carne asada fajitas. Everyone was happy with their order. Don't mind paying a little more for great tasting food, since there aren't many options in casino. Tacos from the food truck just outside of restaurant were good too. read more

I was a little skeptical about this "food truck" before placing my order.. But surprisingly, the carne asada nachos was good.. and the tacos were also good.. Not the best I've had, but definitely worth going back. read more

The first time I came to Rita's it was delicious they had chips and salsa, but they had various salsas to taste from cheese dip to spicy red salsa. Now they have a nasty salsa very plain and simple in my opinion tasteless. My boyfriend ordered a California burrito it was very salty seemed like the chef put no effort. I ordered chicken wings and they weren't at all like the first time I tasted them this time they were not good seemed like they took them out of a package. Overall the workers were nice but the food wasn't. read more

Was served some of the nastiest nachos ever, it was basically a bowl of chips with some sauce of some sort and sour cream slapped on, and I mean that in the literal sense. I sent them back at the end of the meal since that's the next time the server made her presence available and the manager had the audacity to tell me they look perfect to him and if I had sent them back earlier he would consider removing the $15 charge. He wasn't a bit concerned when I informed him that his poor decision would negatively impact his servers tip and he made no effort to rectify the situation. The only upside was I saved 10% for being a platinum total rewards member, but I would have got that regardless. read more

Food was good, but drinks were a little on the weak side. The blended mango margarita was expensive at $25 and I really tried to taste the alcohol, but couldn't get over the fact that it tasted like a virgin drink. Sent it back for a he size down unblinded and it was much better. Service was also good. read more

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Went here for dinner with my family ( 3 small kids). The service was fast, but we didn't like the food. I ordered enchiladas and they were dried out and so were the beans. They have no kids menu and the food we ordered for the kids was too spicy. The waitress was foreign and didn't understand English very well. We will not come back. There is a Mexican restaurant down the street that is cheaper and the food is good. read more

Do not eat here... the food is the worst I give it a -5 star if it was possible. I ordered the fish tacos ... the tortilla was cold the fish was soggy and no flavor at all. I also tried the Chile relleno and this was the worst one ever the Chile was drenched in oil and on top of that the oil must have been dirty because it was black . It mention on the menu that it was topped with house salsa wtf it was paste picante salsa . Wtf the worst ever Mexican food stick with the beer and tequila. read more

We have eaten at Rita's several times since they opened. The food served inside is very good. This last trip we tried their associated (mock) food truck. One of the items we ordered was the nachos. We paid extra for the additional beef. Unfortunately they use that canned syrupy cheese instead of real melted cheese. Also they flood the dish with a thin sour cream. So, this is one item to avoid on their menu. To be fair their tacos are very good and inside they offer great service. read more

I've had three experiences here over the course of this last weekend, so I'm ready to review! First, I want to preface with the fact that I think the food is outstanding here. So my first visit was to grab a TO GO meal to take to my lounge chair by the pool. Yes, you can order poolside, but note that the menu is not as extensive poolside as in the restaurant and actually, the prices are different, too! I wanted to try more than just the nachos which I had previously and LOVED. So, I went in and ordered my food at the bar. I ordered a Combo 3 which had steak, shrimp and a chicken enchilada suiza, of course with beans and rice - I ordered mine sans beans. The bartender told me it would be about ten minutes. Well, it was about 20 minutes, actually, which would have been okay if he'd said it would be about 20 minutes. Also, when he did bring the food I asked if it came with chips and salsa (I had watched everyone eating at tables be brought chips and salsa and i was now craving them), but he said to go orders do not come with chips and salsa, but I could have some salsa. Whatever. Next time I will sit at a table and eat chips and salsa while i wait for my food and then put it in a to go container. But, the food itself was delicious and the portion was huge - I couldn't' even eat it all! Later the same day, my parents showed up at the casino and so I showed them around the pool and we went into 'Ritas to have some 'ritas! We sat at a table, so yea! I got my chips and salsa! Our server was Francisco (or Juan - he has two name tags!) He was really friendly and funny and we really liked him. He did forget my water and the drinks took forever to arrive, but it's that thing where having a great personality really makes up for some of the little things that happen. Overall, we enjoyed our margaritas - I had the frozen ginger peach on e and it is FANTASTIC! We had fun with Francisco and it was a good experience. A few days later, I was back at the pool and my husband and i decided to ahve lunch inside. We were seated and our server was once again Francisco! He remembered me and again was friendly and helpful. Our service went great. Of course, we started with the chips and salsa and you have to know that you get FOUR different salsas! They are all really tasty and range in heat. The husband had a two taco plate - I think it was Carne Asada tacos and he said it was awesome and he loved the rice and refried beans (they have three types of beans to choose from). I ordered a quesadilla and the ceviche and I liked both, although neither was exciting. The quesadilla was loaded with very rich cheese. I probably wouldn't order either again, because if I had to pick, the combo plate was so fantastic, I'd rather have that again, but they were good, too. I also want to try more things off of this menu! Oh, and we both really loved the rice. It's not fancy, just tastes good. Overall, I really liked this place. The decor isn't anything special, but I find the prices reasonable, the service is good, the food is delicious. Also a good spot to cool down on a hot day by the pool! If I want to the food to go, I'll sit at a table to wait for it so I can munch on the chips and I will try to sit in Francisco's section! read more

tacos are bomb! i buy some just to take home and for the best price too. my favorite place at the harrahs by far.

Took a while for us to be seated luckily I walk up to Veronica a beautiful polish girl with the most beautiful polish accent and she help us get seated. Martha was our waitress and she was very nice and helpful she gave us a complimentary ice-cream after we finish our food which was good I think for Mexican food I had the fish tacos cabo style. Over all good they made up for it with Veronica and Martha service. Would recommend read more

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We frequent Harrahs resort often and are excited to be there when Rita's is open. What a change! With your chips you used to get like a flight of salsas- they were so good. That's gone.Whoever made up the new menu is nuts. See if I can explain. Ok the main words are in Spanish- then underneath the Spanish words are what comes with it in English. So if someone wants shrimp (camarrones) they better know what the Spanish word is for shrimp. Just dumb. My hubby and I split the beef fajitas. They didn't come out steaming hot and sizzling like most restaurants. The beef had a good flavor but was fatty and grisly. She forgot our tortillas so buy the time the tortillas got to us the food was not hot any longer. Just not up to par anymore. read more

Chef Jeffrey Piccirillo continues his Greatness ! Throughout the years that my wife and I have visited Harrah's Southern California Resort and Casino on the Rincon Indian Reservation, we have had some great meals in their restaurants. Over the years, Harrah's has opened many different cuisine and styles of restaurants by their Pool area. From the Cabana Cove Bar and Grill with a South Pacific Flair, to Rebels Bar B Que, and now 'Rita's Cantina Mexican Restaurant. With all of these good restaurants, one thing stands out above everything else. Head Chef Jeffrey Piccirillo is one of the nicest, most down to earth, honest, and talented Chefs, we have ever met. His creative twists on certain dishes in the restaurants he has mentored at Harrah's over the years, have made us come back, over and over, to enjoy his great meals. This last weekend we visited the new 'Rita's Cantina Mexican Restaurant at Harrah's, and it was Fantastic ! The server Erica was so nice and friendly and did a great job at our table. Erica started us off with a huge bowl of crispy multicolored Tortilla Chips served with a variety of two different delicious Red Chili sauces, a Green Tomatillo sauce, and a great Queso dipping sauce.The meals we had were outside the box, and very delicious ! Being born and raised in San Diego with thousands of Mexican restaurants, my wife, (who is Hispanic) and I have tasted many, many, Mexican dishes. We have traveled to hundreds of Latin American countries, and tasted many different versions of Mexican dishes. Trust me, these meals at 'Rita's were both unique, and delicious ! The crispy fried Chile Relleno was so different, and so good, and the Crab Enchilada with the Red Chili Ancho sauce on top was fabulous ! The huge Shrimp Tacos and yummy sauce inside were fantastic ! And finally the "Piace To Resistance " was the deep fried Ice Cream Dessert ( see picture). The presentation and taste was out of this world ! Chef Jeffrey and his excellent staff has scored again, with this fabulous restaurant. They also have a great looking Food Truck venue attached outside the restaurant for fast food delivery, Margarita specials, and Live entertainment. "Rita's Cantina is definitely a must visit when you come to Harrah's Casino in Valley Center. read more

Ritas Cantina - Rita's Food Truck Venue attached to the restaurant for fast delivery service - Mexican Near Me - Funner, California

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Surprisingly affordable! The drink was 10 dollars and more than enough in a size small. The dishes are around 7 to 15 dollars and the space is relaxing and quite nice. It is obvs inside Harrahs so there are limited food options. Its either this (Mexican food) or Chinese or an oyster bar sometimes open or a food truck style place. I think there is also a buffet style cafeteria place. Anyway, this place is prolly the best of the choices and the staff is good too. read more

Ritas Cantina - Berry Rita! - Mexican Near Me - Funner, California

This review is all about our server Jan! He was great on our first visit but excelled on our second. First, he remembered us which is amazing considering the amount of people he meets. Second, knowing that we like extra spicy everything he brought us an assortment of peppers n salsas. All were delicious. He's clearly attentive n cares about his service. Thank you Jan. We'll be back and only sit in your section. read more

First off I'm A first timer and all the regulars got priority! Chips were stale! On he bright side 40% happy hour 3-6 on appetizers and margaritas! But yea still no service and the regulars prolly high rollers need the attention! So far so so! Well the next day was horrible mine and my husbands stomachs were tossed totally ruined out date night! I'll leave the details for imagination read more

Ritas Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Funner, California

Overpriced bland chicken burrito... took a few bites and threw it out. Salsa was suppose to be spicy hot but was more like jarred supermarket ketchup salsa. Meh read more

I don't know why I came back. I've been here 3 times now and every time I'm here they have changed something and I think it will be better and yet again nothing but disappointment. Bland, boring and a waste of calories if you ask me. read more

been here on a few different occasions... for a drink for a late night hang watching live music eating at their taco cart... all in all... food is good, reasonably priced...drinks are good... it can be a bit ghetto fabulous late at night...not complaining...just saying. they card me every time (thank you) makes me feel young! woo hoo! lots of seating available.. if it's crowded ...best to go to the bar to order vs waiting for a server...it can get crazy up in here!!! read more

I wanted to enjoy the whole pool atmosphere so we sat outside under an umbrella. Our waitress erika was fantastic. She was very nice, explained the dishes, and visibly worked hard amongst 5 tables. The food on the other hand is just so-so. Everything is very bland and leans more towards Americanized versions of Mexican food. The tacos are decent but the chicken chimichanga was so awful that i couldn't finish eating it. However the chips and salsa were good. They also have a quasi taco truck on other side if building that is for EAsy ala cart items for a few bucks which might be better. Essentially the entrees are probably going to be disappointing. read more

The entire ambience is what won me over. After a super fun filled day partying it up at Dive for the yelp elite party I was really wanting to try this place before we took off. I noticed it last year and decided I had to try it this year. So this restaurant has huge floor to ceiling glass which makes for gorgeous views of Dive and surrounding mountains and palms. Best part is the windows are removable and completely open on any warm sunny day. So you are sitting with fresh breezes flowing past you. It was a Saturday afternoon when I ate here and there was this amazing live band of 2 guitar players and 1 female vocalist. They played jazzy versions of hotel california, sade and latin classics such as oye como va completely enhancing the entire dinning process. I noticed the entire wait staff enjoying the music and dancing with some of the dinning customers. How fun! Me and my date ordered the shrimp and scallop ceviche starter. And split the baja shrimp tacos. Which also came with rice and beans. Very good tacos! Each taco came with 3 jumbo shrimps, de-veined, and marinated in this yummy flavorful sauce topped with the usual pico de gallo and shredded lettuce. The complimentary chips and salsa were nice, came with 3 different salsas and melted queso but unfortunately the chips were stale. Loved all the dipping choices though! Oh and our waitress was super nice too. I was having so much fun I didn't want to leave. Such a great spot! read more

Ritas Cantina - Shrimp and scallop ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Funner, California

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Well-presented, good Mexican food with a great, though somewhat expensive bar. I must preface this with... I was half in-the-bag when we arrived. Food: The menu looked pretty good. I had the Combinacion #3, which was very tasty and I was surprised to be able to select the seafood enchilada as part of it. Nothing was very spicy except the grilled jalapeno that came with the meal, but it was tasty and I was very hungry. Bar: If you like Margaritas, this is a good place. They have a variety of "flavors", as well as a great deal on a 44oz margarita to share, which you can order in some of the flavors, with half-price refills. Environment: It's a nice open space. There are TVs to watch the game, and the bartenders will change them to whatever you like. The outdoor seating is right on the pool area if you like watching bikinis while you eat. The wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our time here, and plan to be back next time we're at the Harrah's. read more

The complementary chips & salsa come with melted cheese. So delicious, this is one of my favorite places to eat with I'm staying or visiting at Harrah's Rincon. If your in the mood for Mexican and you're at Rincon it's a good spot. Like all the places in the hotel you can pay with your True Reward points. read more

Saw the cool "Food Truck" inside the casino (closer to the Front Desk) and decided to give it a try. We have been to Harrahs a handful of times last year, and this year. We ordered 3 Carne Asada tacos (1.99 ea) and an order of Taquitos (6.99). Tacos had Pico de gallo. 3 Taquitos came on a bed of lettuce with shredded cheese and a generous amount of guacamole...... Food was delicious. Not authentic mexican......more like Flavor Fusion! It was delicious. I definitely will return here again for a snack. read more

Awesome food and service at Rita's. I would highly suggest sitting on their patio and ordering food rather than eating anything from the pool service at Harrahs. The chips and salsa/queso for starters is delicious. We ordered way too much food the first day and learned our lesson for the next day at the pool. The portions are big and very filling. We had a great experience all around here and I will suggest you check it out. read more

Great Mexican food! Carnitas is really tasty here. The margaritas are one of a kind and a must have. The happy hour 3pm-6pm here is awesome! 6$ large margaritas and 40% off appetizers. read more